On Thursday, September 3, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha welcomed his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Kyiv, who made the first-ever standalone bilateral visit by an External Affairs Minister of the Republic of India to Ukraine.
Andrii Sybiha briefed his counterpart on the escalation of Russian aggression, in particular Russia’s systematic attacks against civilian vessels, Ukrainian ports and port infrastructure. The Minister stressed that it was Russian aggression that had led to a situation in which the Black Sea had become a zone of hostilities. He recalled that Indian seafarers were also among the victims and expressed his deep condolences over their deaths.
The two ministers discussed in detail peace efforts, the security situation in the Black Sea and freedom of navigation, global food security, nuclear threats posed by Russia, as well as the further development of Ukrainian-Indian relations.
Andrii Sybiha stressed that the consequences of Russia’s actions in the Black Sea extend far beyond Ukraine.
“Blocking vital routes for the supply of Ukrainian food threatens millions of people around the world with hunger and crisis. We are grateful to India for its attention and joint efforts to address this problem,” the Minister noted, underscoring India’s role as a global power, including in engaging a broader range of countries.
The two ministers separately focused on the peace process and opportunities for India’s more active involvement in international efforts to end the war.
“As Prime Minister Modi recently said in Putin’s presence, it is time to put an end to the endless war. We support this position. Ukraine is ready to end the war, and we have realistic proposals. It is time to move to diplomacy,” Andrii Sybiha stressed.
During the talks, the parties devoted significant attention to the bilateral agenda. Ukraine is ready to expand trade, investment and business contacts, as well as the participation of Indian businesses in reconstruction.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister noted that trade turnover between Ukraine and India currently stands at USD 2.6 billion and that there is still significant potential for further growth. In this context, Andrii Sybiha said that the parties will discuss setting a date for a meeting of the Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Indian Commission in order to intensify bilateral trade relations.
According to Andrii Sybiha, promising areas of cooperation include energy, infrastructure, transport, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, digitalisation and mechanical engineering.
“India is a global technological power. And as a result of the war, Ukraine is among the world’s leaders in innovative technologies, including security technologies,” the Foreign Minister noted.
The ministers also agreed to facilitate the further development of scientific and technological cooperation, contacts between universities and research institutions, as well as educational and cultural exchanges.
Andrii Sybiha stressed that Ukraine regards India as an important international partner and is interested in further strengthening mutually beneficial relations.
“Ukraine regards India as an important partner. We look forward to India’s continued support for the principles of the UN Charter, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, freedom of navigation and international law,” the Foreign Minister stated.